


Under The Table

by wickedrum



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Emetophilia, F/M, Killian Whump, Sickfic, beta: cicaly, virtually no plot for the sake of whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:02:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22406140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wickedrum/pseuds/wickedrum
Summary: Set: Killian is dispirited he has to stay away from Emma when his lips are cursed. As usual, David is willing to give Killian and his change in behaviour the benefit of the doubt and pick up some pieces. Hurt/Comfort.
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan, Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Prince Charming | David Nolan
Comments: 6
Kudos: 41





	1. Brahms and Liszt

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimers: I barely own my knickers. When I am writing, it's mainly for my own pleasure.
> 
> Pairing: Captain Swan, Captain Charming. 
> 
> Warnings: emetophilia.

Charming stumbled into The Rabbit Hole in Storybrooke, barely able to keep his eyes open. It occurred to him that someone might think that he was drunk, would have been a fitting guise if he would have been intending to fit in at the bar, but alas he was only sleep deprived. First because of Snow not being able to sleep with the baby kicking several nights in a row and now because of being roused up by some bad-tempered bartender to come and collect his supposed friend at the crack of dawn. “Actually, why me?” He followed the burly man into the empty establishment. Killian was nowhere to be seen.

“I’ve seen you here with him. I don’t know of anyone else who would be willing to take care of him. We tried to throw him out, but nobody’s going to touch him now, how he’s covered in vomit,” the bartender pointed under a table.

Charming frowned and stumbled back at the sight. Killian was in fact lying there on the floor. His head tilted to the side, he seemed more asleep than awake, although his eyelids were fluttering and he was mumbling something. How much rum could the pirate have drunk? Judging by experience, Hook could hold his alcohol well, it would rarely affect him, whether he had his immortality or not. Charming considered the possibility of hauling Killian out the bar and asking for a bucket of water for waking the pirate up, as the well as for the purposes of the smell, but then had to discard the idea. It was too cold outside, he couldn’t well add pneumonia to the man’s troubles. 

Remembering that the bartender was unwilling to touch the besotted individual, Charming tried to reach for parts of the man’s coat that weren’t covered in puke, slid him out from under the table and pulled him into a sitting position, “See Hook, we have to go, let’s get this done, I need some sleep!” 

Killian however still didn't make one move apart from drawing a few deeper breaths so Charming propped him against the wall. “Not a good sign. A glass of water please?” He looked at the bartender. “Come on Hook,” the prince patted his cheeks while waiting for the water, with further dubious results. 

Killian groaned and pulled his face away, his eyes only opening to a slit and he doubled over, making Charming having to prop him up again. “Try this,” he raised the cold water to the pirate’s lips. 

The captain pushed it away, “damn, do ye wan me to puke on ye?” He winced, disgust clearly showing in his eyes, but he had them finally open. 

“Up you get at the very least!" Charming tried to pull the captain up.

“I repeat, do ye wan me to puke on ye?” Hook slurred, “trust me, better to geroff,” he mumbled, trying to free his arm from David’s grip. 

“You need to go, it’s well past closing time,” the barkeep urged.

Charming rubbed at his forehead with his sleeve and shook his head, watching the heap that was supposed to be the infamous pirate captain in front of him. The state he was in was concerning to say the least. The king sighed and on his knees next to him, placed a hand on the drunkard’s upper leg, “Hook, what the hell, what’s wrong?” He leaned closer so he could hear him better, talking with a certain softness and concern in his voice that wasn’t there before.

Killian rubbed a hand over his midsection, “in the end, what is love, Charming?” He mumbled.

David shook his head, “not now, Hook. I promise you that we can talk about that or anything else you may wish to, but you have to get up now.”

“Cannae. I've had a little too much to drink and then a little too much to figure out.”

“No kidding,” Charming was clueless as to how to move than man aside from picking him up and carrying him out over his shoulder. “I need you to help me out here.”

“They say love is one of those,” Killian continued without taking the other man’s words or intent into account. “But we have to play the cards we're dealt, right?”

Charming sighed, mentally giving up on being able to go back to bed. Whatever was bothering Killian, it had to be talked of there and then, otherwise he would not be able to move him. So the prince plopped down onto his bottom next to the sottish pirate. “If you have to know, Emma’s been really positive about you lately. That is, till you started avoiding us all for some reason? What happened, Hook? I’d say you were almost at the finish line of a happy ending.” 

Killian nodded knowingly, then at length, suddenly decided it was time to try to stand up. Surely he wasn’t going to talk about his cursed lips and it was easiest avoided if he made himself scarce. The move was so unexpected that Charming had to jump up to steady him and stop him from banging his head into the table. Killian held on to the wall with one hand, to Charming with the other, trying to get his bearings, surprised himself how hard he’d found it. 

“Finally,” the bartender commented as they staggered out the door, and locked up behind them quickly, even if his patrons only just made it to the exterior of the building, with Killian leaning onto the outside wall of the establishment. 

Charming looked around on instinct, making sure they were safe and also not seen. He wasn’t particularly keen on having to explain himself in his gruff, tired state. “Need a minute? Can you walk?” Emma’s father leaned closer so he could see the pirate’s face in the darkness. 

“Uncertain. I don’t think so,” Killian announced his knees’ inclination to buckle, just in time for Charming to catch him again. His eyes wandered down the street, considering the length of the journey they were supposed to make. Was that even possible or should he get a car? He momentarily thought about leaving Killian there and getting further help, but who. Emma was the last person Hook would want to see him in that state, so it had to be a no out of consideration for the former immortal. “Come on, we can’t stay here forever,” he urged the other a little more patiently now that he had seen the full extent of the state the seafarer was in. 

At long last, Killian put one foot forward, holding onto the help, then another. He needed his guidance too in regards to the direction they were going, but at least they were moving till..”But you’re a lucky man!” Hook exclaimed and looked at him straight, turning and stopping. “Ye don’t understand!”

“Yeah, I will agree with you that I’m a lucky man but it looks like walking and talking at the same time appears to be beyond you for the moment so before you get even more analytical, I have the offer of a good couch for you, what do say?”

Hook grunted his displeasure at being thwarted from his plans once again, but not wanting to appear any more pitiable in front of Charming than he already was, he picked himself off the wall and moved himself along a few steps till his stomach lurched and twisted and he was forced to stop again, this time leaning onto Charming as the wall was unreachable at that point.

“No, this is not like you, Hook. You need to tell me what is going on,” the royal was sympathising. 

“No. So..” Killian grappled with the concept of trusting a mate or his insides, going down on shaky knees and pulling the other man with him. Charming hardly had any time to disentangle before Killian gave in to what his stomach would've wanted to do all along.

Charming tried to comfort him by patting his back, “I know something else is wrong with you, but first you just need to lie down and sleep this out.” The sooner they were home, the better. He maneuvered himself under one of Killian's armpits and hauled him up with some effort. 

Killian shook his head in protest, though it was as far as he could go with the control of his faculties. “Aye but what about finding happiness?” He continued to object. 

Charming frowned, just about managing to get them into a reasonably steady state where they could move into a particular, given direction, “what about finding happiness?”

“It’s a curse! I always thought that the only thing certainly worth living for was love!” Killian shouted rather loudly, rowdily and suddenly, making Charming wince from the amount of decibels in his ears, “don't ye agree?”

“I agree, Hook, of course I agree. But you need to calm down or you’ll wake the whole town.”

It appeared to be the wrong thing to say because Killian stopped again and patted his companion's face with drunken benevolence, “thank you Charming, you're always a good friend.”

Said good friend struggled with the weight of the other man. They'd maybe reach destination if Killian wasn't getting into the purpose of life on top of it. Staggering from side to side like a large heap or sitting down occasionally because Killian was either too drugged to walk or his stomach was rebelling, Charming swore to himself he would never quasi-volunteer to handle the drunken pirate again on his own. 

Tbc


	2. Half Seas Over

Chapter 2: Half Seas Over

Killian sighed, letting the air out slowly and heavily. As he was standing by the open window of the Charmings’ living room to take advantage of the fresh morning air and the view of the harbour further away, he was concentrating on the calm morning seas, that being the best hangover cure he has ever known. But it wasn't working this time. It was the worst holdover he had ever experienced, but then again, he’d usually be immortal through it before. He moaned quietly as he moved his head, only to rub it, he certainly did not want to wake the Nolans to further embarrass himself. He wiped the sweat off his face with the same motion. It wasn't the hangover that was killing him, not really. He had been wanting love so much, he wanted Emma, but he couldn't completely give into it. With the conscience he had somehow recently developed he could not trick the blonde into giving up her powers for him. Wasn’t it ironic that the changes he made in himself to fit her ideal better were the very ones stopping him from taking her? Why can’t he just stop thinking about her, no matter how much mind-numbing alcohol he consumes? Now he's not only exhausted, but discomposed too. He put his jacket on with shaky fingers, pausing to hold his stomach and its contents in, glad nobody seemed awake yet to witness it. He would need to leave and quickly. He doubted the Nolans wanted a puddle of vomit at their doorstep so he hovered, grimacing and debating whether he should dash into the bathroom instead. The lightheadedness took him by surprise and then the close restroom was the only option. Killian folded on himself as he retched, not actually making it as far as the toilet bowl.

“Go see to him, help,” Mary Margaret patted her husband’s arm, clearly not as asleep as the pirate had thought her to be.

“Snow, I’m quite sure he can be sick quite well on his own,” David’s eyes were still closed. 

“He’s very pale, we need to tend to him. I’m going in if you don’t,” the heavily pregnant woman threatened, knowing that her man could not ignore that.

“Heavens, Hook!” The sight in the bathroom woke Charming up quickly. It seemed like the pirate hurt his head when he fell down onto the hard bathroom floor and while his stomach could not expel much for the lack of content, he was like a shaking leaf, slumped and fisting his stomach. “You’re ridiculous, back to the couch, you need to lie down,” Charming put a hand round the other man.

Killian willed himself light-headedly into a sitting position with a grunt with obvious effort and slumped in Charming's arms, feeling too terrible to care anymore. “What's wrong with him today?” Snow was standing in the door, clearly worried.

“Well, he just needs something to calm his stomach,” Charming hoped. 

“I got heartburn relief powder, you know for the pregnancy. I’ll go find it and make a glass up,” she disappeared, glad she had something concrete to do in the matter. 

Charming slid a gentle hand onto Killian's stomach, half expecting it to be shoved away. But it wasn't. “That was a good question Hook, what's wrong with you? And you know I don’t mean the massive hangover.”

Killian sighed, waiting a bit to answer until the cramps receded a little, “what is it, I will be fine,” he said dismissively, “I’m just an idiot sometimes.”

“Yes, you said it, not me,” Charming acknowledged that the pirate dodged the question and took the wet hand towel silently handed to him by Snow with a suggestive nod. Killian didn't oppose when Charming slid the warm towel gently under his shirt onto his stomach. 

“We’re happy to help. You’re staying here till I say you’re fine,” Snow ordered, “let’s see how you do with keeping breakfast down later.” 

Tbc


	3. Worse For Wear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma finds out.

Chapter 3: Worse for Wear

Emma had no intentions to visit her parents that day. Now that she was back in Storybrook, she had to look around the shops and other businesses in town, see if someone had an opening for a job. With Henry opting to stay with her most of the time, she really had to stack up the stakes, pick up the pace or whatever and earn enough to support themselves. But then it occurred to her that instead of traipsing all over town, maybe her parents knew of someone who was looking for a hand or two and then at least she could check on mother and baby as well since they were all a little concerned about a pregnancy that felt like an overnight development for most. Not wanting to make Snow have to stand up, she simply opened the door herself and stepped in to find her father rubbing Killian’s bare stomach gently. It would have scandalised her if not for the pirate’s overly pale cheeks, clenched teeth and the moaning breaths he was taking. “What’s wrong with Hook?” She rushed to his side, going onto her knees by the couch. 

“I’ll go get another drink to try to calm his stomach,” Mary Margaret announced, “I’ll be back in a moment, your father can explain.”

Charming let go of the wet handtowel he had been using, leaving it on top of Killian’s stomach while the pirate put an arm over his eyes, bashful, “oh no luv, this is all wrong. I wasn’t meant to cause any of you trouble here.”

“Your cup of Alka-Selzer,” Snow presented him with the sizzling liquid, “just take it.”

Killian pulled up a little into more of a sitting position, glad for the interruption, but not for the medicine. He took one look at the pink fluid and pressed the cup quickly into Charming’s hand, his own going to his mouth as he struggled with swallowing down whatever was trying to come up, “leave it, I don’t think I can,” he whined. 

“I’m worried about this,” Snow sat down opposite in the armchair as well, “at this rate he'll not have any secretions left in his body. We have to do something else.”

“It might just be a bad hangover and then it should be over soon,” Charming explained for all the others’ sakes. 

“I don't understand,” Emma shook her head, “Hook hangover, really? Not a curse?” She was bewildered. If Killian ever had the time to have a hangover between drinks all he was being was irritable and intent on finding some more rum. “Well?” She pushed Hook’s arm away to look him straight in the eyes. The man still turned away, not ready for this conversation. 

“I'm not sure about this, but I think…the trouble with his stomach Emma, it's got to do with you somehow,” Charming looked at his daughter.

The blonde looked at him as if he would have become a three headed dragon all of a sudden, “what could I have done? It must be something else.”

“Well, I've never seen him this drunk before. He was talking about love the whole time I was dragging him home,” the prince took advantage of the pirate’s inability to speak for himself, too busy trying to keep his mouth shut and his stomach juices down.

“Killian…” Emma appeared sympathetic to his plight and placed a hand on his back to soothe him, “I did notice you were avoiding me. Why? Whatever you think I might judge, it doesn’t matter. I’ve told you to leave the past in the past and I meant it. You don’t even need to tell me what you’re trying to hide or forget.”

The pirate however wriggled away and leaned forward, losing the fight with his stomach once more, “oh gods, this hurts,” was the only thing he was able to utter between spitting and slobbering.

“I’m done with this. Whatever the cause is, he needs to go to hospital,” Emma fretted.

“That’s right. I’ll give a call to Dr. Whale,” Mary Margaret offered, “if it’s not magic, he will know what to do.”

Tbc


	4. As A Lord

Chapter 4: As A Lord

“Trust me, there’s no need for you to sit here and watch me luv,” Killian squirmed on his hospital bed. He was exhausted and the pains in his stomach abated a bit thanks to whatever Dr. Whale had running into his veins on a drip and now he really would have needed a rest, but he had this unrealistic and inexplicable fear, verging on panic that if he fell asleep then Emma would maybe kiss him goodbye. 

“You’ve scared me when you passed out on the way here,” the blonde was arranging his pillows so that he was more sitting up than lying down, “is that better? The nausea should be lesser if your head is higher. At least that’s how it was with me when I was pregnant. Do you need anything else?”

Of course sitting up in his drained state was the last thing Killian wanted. “I’ll be damned, Swan. Don’t you have things to do?”

“Lately you’re always trying to get away from me. Don’t think I didn’t notice all the crazy stuff.”

“I might be a slave to love, but I’m not witless. I can see now that I have no real chance with you so why torture myself too.”

Emma looked at him with considerable doubt, “what? The illustrious Captain Hook giving up? That’s nuts, I’m not buying it.”

“You wouldn’t believe it if I told you, that’s just how it is. I’m just trying to keep out of temptation’s way because I don’t trust myself.”

“I’m not scared, Hook. And for the record, I’ve never been scared of you. Maybe you don’t trust yourself, but you can trust me. Whatever this something is, we’ll deal with it.”

“We certainly don’t need to deal with it. We’re not in a relationship so there’s no problem.” 

“There would be a problem if we were in a relationship? Wow.”

“Swan, I’m tired and my belly’s trying to turn itself inside out.”

“I know, another excuse.”

“But it happens to be true, luv. I can’t move. My head’s swimming.”

Emma looked at him apprehensively, “is the medicine not helping? Should I call the nurse then?”

“It is helping. But since my guts were imitating a windmill before, there is an improvement, believe me.” Still, he turned to his side, away from her, “I’m hoping it will sort itself completely while I rest.”

“Just rest. I will be here when you wake up.”

“What? Why would you do that?”

“Why would I do that! Is it so hard to figure with your thick, weather-hardened pirate head? If you haven’t noticed, I care for you. Love, you idiot. And if you weren’t so circumvent about it, you could have had a chance!” Emma was exasperated. 

“Thanks. I wish it would be so uncomplicated.”

“Why the hell is it so complicated! You love me and I just told you I love you too! Is that what you’re so scared of?”

“Bloody hell, I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’m the Saviour, I can take care of myself,” the blonde sat back on his bed, trying to encourage him with a touch. 

“You can’t kiss me, that’s the truth!” Killian freaked out, shrinking back.

“Oh, I don’t care if you taste like puke.”

“It’s not that. Zelena had cursed my lips to make you lose your powers!”

“Wow, is that all what the problem is?”

“What do you mean is that all? I’ve already destroyed enough.” 

“Well, that’s a rather stupid reason to avoid me and torture yourself. Especially to this extent,” she laughed, “it makes you kind of lovable though, wanting to protect me in your own way. It’s going to be alright, you dof pirate,” she leaned closer again, making him freak out.

“Didn’t you hear what I said, luv? It’s hard enough to keep away from you as it is. And please don’t make me move, I might puke on you.”

“Hook, calm down. We’ll deal with the curse later. There’s got to be a way to remove it. “Now what should we do about that pesky stomach of yours?” She climbed up onto the hospital bed and lay beside him, “okay then. I’m not going to kiss you. There are other ways to take care of what you need,” she moved her hands down his chest and started to massage his belly gently, “is this alright?”

“That'll do Emma, that'll do,” Killian sighed his relief, his tenseness and the relentless iron hand that kept hold of his heart and stomach almost immediately disappearing with it. He couldn’t kiss Emma, but she just showed he was ready to be hers in every other way. A little stomachache was totally irrelevant.

The End.


End file.
